Improvement in the manufacture of illuminating-gas



2 Sheets S heet 1.- J. W. BEATLEY.

Manufacture of Illuminating Gas. N0. 369,326. Patented Oct. 26,1875.

N- PETERS, FHOTOJJTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D C.

2 ShetS SheetZ.

J. W. BEATLEY. Manufacture of Illuminating Gas.

Patented Oct. 26, 1875.

.FETERS, PHDTWLIYHOGRAFNER. WASHINGTON, D C.

JOSEPH W. BEATLEY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT PATENT OFFICE.

W. RUTHERFORD AND JOSEPH. W.'BEATLEY, TRUSTEES.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF lLLUMlNATlNG-GAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. I 69,326, dated October 26, 1875; application filed October 20, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH WILLIAM BEATLEY, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, United States of America, gas engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements on the Process and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Illuminating-Gas; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The nature of my invention consists in an improvement in the process and manufacture of illuminating-gas from liquid hydrocarbons, by the commingling of superheated steam and hydrocarbon vapors evaporated from the surface of the liquid hydrocarbon by the action of the superheated steam upon it, and by decomposing the said commingled vapors into a'fixed commercial gas in red-hot retorts. This is accomplished by utilizing the light vapors of liquid hydrocarbons obtained by a natural evaporation from the surface of an undisturbed body of a liquid hydrocarbon, and by the expansion and rarefaction of said vapors by superheated steam.

Heavy vapors, by the excess of carbon in them, cause the formation of lamp-black, pitch, and a thick, viscous, tarry substance, which obstruct the retorts, stand-pipes, hydraulic main, condensers, and purifiers, causing trouble and expense, and, at times, stoppingthe manufacture of gas entirely. They also make a heavy smoky gas, surcharged with undecomposed vapors, which are subsequentlyv condensed in the street-mains and consumers meters, causing additional trouble and damage, while the light vapors, utilized as herein described, make a fixed commercial gas, free from injurious vapors and smoke, of brilliant quality and of a light gravity, to burn in ordinary coal-gas burners.

The means employed for the production of the said light and rarefied vapors, their conversion into gas and their combination with coal-gas, are as follows: A closed vessel or still, connected with a superheater and steamboiler; a storage or supply tank and retorts; and a still containing superheated steam and liquid hydrocarbons; and a coil situated beneath the level of, and for the purpose of heating, the said liquid, and also a nozzle with rose-head and ring attached, for the admission and distribution of superheated steam above the surface of the liquid, and having inlet and outlet connecting-pipes, all for the purpose and in the manner as herein described and set forth.

The said storage or supply tank or tanks may be made either of wood or of metal, and may be located in any convenient situation, covered and protected by any suitable inclosure or jacket when required, which inclosure may be heated by steam through an iron coil, and the tank may be cooled by cold water when necessary, to preserve an equilibrium of temperature in the hydrocarbon liquid stored therein during all seasons of the year. I fill and refill the said tanks with hydrocarbon liquids, or distillates thereof, by means of a steam-pump, that draws said liquids or distillates from the vessels or packages of transportation, and delivers the same into the upper interior part of said tanks by an inletpipe provided with suitable valves. I gage the contents of said tanks by an upright glass gage, by which I am able to ascertain the quantity filled into and withdrawn from said tanks, and I provide each tank with a safetyvalve or siphon, to permit the escape ofatinospheric air or vapor.

The contents of said tanks I draw away by an outlet-pipe, which extends from the lower side of the tanks, and connects with a steampump, and also with one or more closed vessels or stills, in order that a regulated quantity of liquid may be run from the tanksdirectly into the still through the pipe, or drawn from the tanks and. forced into the still with the pump. The said stillis a closed metallic cylindrical vessel, vertically set up in any convenient place, having its internal dimensions proportionate to about six feet in diameter and eight feet in height, covered with asbestus or any other non-conducting material, and containing therein liquid hydrocarbon, in the proportion of about five-eighths of its internal area, reserving about threeeighths of said area as a vapor-retaining "soundandrperfect conditioii."f t I The superheatedsteam isadniitted into the still in a regulatedquantity and'temperature without-pressure or 'force. If pressure were" used, or if it were forcedinto the still by means of an exhauster or pump, the liquid contents would become agitated and overheated, and heavyvvapors thrown off with'the injurious effects heretofore alluded to.

The effect of the superheated st'earn'admitted into the still, and diffusedin the manner described,is to cause the production of a'very volatile hydrocarbon vapor of uniform quality and quantity; the commingled vapors are carried off from the still in ahighly-rarefied state, the liquid contentslmai'utained at a uniform temperature and densit and a natural evaporation at the surface of the undisturbed liquid is obtained and maintained coutinuouslyand uninterruptedly. r i

If common steam were usedinst'ead-of's u perheated,its condensation and the filtration ofthe boiling water thereof through theli'quid contents would equalize the temperature of the liquid with that of the-steam, and create ebullition, convective currents,vand a hi'ghde gree of temperature, that would cause the'prov ductionof heavy vapors, that are not suitable for the manufacture of fixed gas. The vaporizing of theliquid would be also f unequal,

throwing off the more volatile portions at first, the liquid gradually increasing in density until finally "resulting in a dead-oihwhen' naphtha isthe liquid preferably employed;

' If the nozzle entered the top of the still in v its center, or nearer the vapor-escape pipe, its

action would be imperfect, by permittin g a too rapid escape of the steamand preventing a perfect evaporation and commingling of the vapors. If it entered in an oblique direction 1 it would cause, by the deflection of the steam,

an;ontward driving force. in the one direction therein, or aback pressure not entirely relieved or an obstructive force in the opposite. Superheated steam is-not only requiredfto vaporize the liquid, and to expand and rarefy v the vapors, but'also, itshi'g h temperature- ,and dryness, so to heat'and so'to combine 'withand retain themthat they 'sliallfnot con dense and separate'ontheir passage to the retorts." If commoner wet steain'is used, such acondensation and separationtakes'=place,' andheavy vaporsare discharged into' the re= torts instead of light ones, and with. the fur- ""ther resultof injury to-the retorts by the'in-;

troduction' of moisture into'them, which causes the crackingand disintegration of "them whereas a" combination of dry superheated steam and light vapors has thegefiectjof preserving andfaddin g to--'the'-'li'fe ofthe retort,-

"it'h'avi ng been found that'retorts sotr'eated;

after more thali anyea l sfvicefwere infa;

Steam and superheated steam are chemicallydifferent; and in'this connection they are not convertible terms. It cannot be claimed that either the one or the other may be used, as their effects are wholly different.-

The outlet-opening inthe stillto the vaporescape pipe is made about sizr inches below thetop of the still, the opening and the pipe leading therefrom to=bc,tin internal diameter,

from four inches to six; inches, according to the quantity of gas required to be made, the pipe to be covered withasbestus or any other non-conducting material. The egress of the colnmingled vaporsis slightly retarded by thusfplacin'g. the outlet-pipe below the top of the still, and also bytwo or more bends or angles' in the said pipe.' This mechanical check 'orresistance in the outletepipe produces 'a very light back pressure, and consequent diffusiou of the vaporin the vapor-retaining: chamber, prevents the vaportfrombeing drawn away from the still too rapidly,.'tends'to regulate the evaporation of the liquid, to equalize the density of the vapor to' rarefy itflby more inand to create.sufficientelasticity orexpansive power to pass it, without forceor pressure, through the pipes to the -retorts.. The pipes are without any internal checks or obstacles torthe passage of the-vapors,- thus enabling them, at all times,-to;act with perfect freedom, and without any undue checkto throw aback pressurefupon the still, and accumulate vapors therein. Saidoutlet-pipe enters the retort at its mouth-piece, whence the vapors pass through a brick or otherflue on the bottom of the retort to the rear end, and return through the upper part thereof, becoming in their passage 'convertedxinto a fixed illuminating-gas. The retorts' are operated without mech anical pressure by dispensing with the dip-pipe. seal, and their contents arew-ithdrawn. by an exhauster, thus relieving the retortsandhydraulic main from all'back pressure. T An excess of hydrocarbon ivapors iu the retorts, or heavy vapors fhydrauli-c main and -condeusers, ,and a clogging up of'the purifiers.- The gas passes from the hydraulic main through the "condensers, purifiers, and station-metcrto theholder, from which it is 'deliveredintd the street-mains for public-use. 1 Withthe con'vertin', .g;-retorts and hydraulic inai'n l combine one or'more coalgas reto'r-ts,sthe'stand-pipes of; which connect with the hydraulic main, rand =the-crude coalgas formed in saidretorts is mixedai n a heated state. in the hydraulic main'wi'th the gas producedfin the-converting=retorts, During this cperation all the retorts and-thehydraulic main arekept free-frommechanical or intermittentpressure,.andthe'combined gases pass through-the "ordinary: condensers washers,-

timate contactwith the isnperheated steam,-

carbon liquids through the purifiers, except in the mode herein described, result in clog ging them up and stopping the Works, thus demonstrating the inoperative nature of the methods em ployed,

superheated steam, to act in the manner desired, should be admitted into the still in such a regulated way as not to be impacted with force upon the surface of the liquid, nor

be forced into and through the body of the liquid, nor should it undergo any change in itspassage from the superheater to the still,

wherebyitsnature as superheated steam, and the efi'ects that can alone result from its unchanged and peculiar characteristics, are lost. The intervention of an exhauster between the superheater and'still not only causes the injurious effects of the force alluded to, but, by the passage ofthe superheated steam from the small steam -pipe into the large internal area of the exhauster, it is cooled and returned to its former condition of Wet steam, thus destroying its nature, and producing a totally different result from that required and claimed.

Referring to the annexed drawings, Figure 1 represents aside elevation of my invention,

partly in section. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts i in both figures.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention, A designates the storage or supply tanks, with the siphon for the escape of "the vapor; A the jacket surrounding the tanks; E, the glass gage for observing the height of the liquid; B, the pump that fills the tanks through the pipe 0; 1', the pipe leading from the boiler O to pump B; D, the valve on pipe 0; I, the pipe leading from the tank A to the still H, to supply it with the liquid hydrocarbon; F, the pipe leading from the tankA to the pump G; G, the pump to supply the still with the liquid; q, the pipe leading from the pump G to the still H; J, the valves on said pipes; O, the boiler; P, the regulator of boiler O; Y, the pipe leading from I the boiler Oto the superheaterN N, the superheater; Q, the pyrometer on superheater N S, the pipe that conveys the superheated steam to the still H and coil K; R, the valve on pipe S; b, the branch pipe from pipe S, to admit superheated steam to top of still H; d, the thermometer attached to pipe I); c, the pressuregage attached to pipe I); .f, the condensation drip-pipe to pipe b; g, the valve on drip-pipe f; h, the nozzle with rose-head and ring attached in still H; L, the branch pipe from pipe Syleadirig to the coilK; K, the coil in still H Z, the pipe leading from boiler O to coil K; a, the thermometer to show the temperature of the liquid in still H; T, the outlet vaporpipe from still H to retort U; "i, the bends and angles in pipe T; j, the valve on pipe T; U, the converting-retort; X, the coal-gas retortsp Z, the condensers; m, the washers;.V, the exhauster; n, the purifiers; 0, the statioh-meterp p, the gas-holder; W, the hydraulic main. i

Having thus fully described my invention,

I do not here claim a still witha steam-pipe above and a coil below nordo I broadly claim the use/of superheated steam in evaporating hydrocarbon liquids in a machine of this class;

nor the use of steam for heating or regulating the heat of the hydrocarbon liquid inthe still;

nor, broadly, the formation of an illuminatinggas by mixing in the hydraulic :main, and

while hot, gas formed from hydrocarbons and steam and coal-gas, these and other matters described in this specification being the subject of another-application now pending in the Patent Office; but

What I do claim, and desireito secure by Letters Patent, is i 1. As an improvement in the process of manufacturing gas from liquid hydrocarbons,

the production of a mingled hydrocarbon vapor and superheated steam, by bringing super heated steam into contact with the surface ,of

a liquid hydrocarbon, being keptfree from all agitation, and at a temperature below that of the steam, said temperature bein gproportioned to the density of the liquid employed, and said vapors decomposed into a fixed commercial illuminating-gas by the meansuused, and as herein described, and for the purpose set forth. i

2. The process of manufacturing an illuminating-gas from a mixture of gas produced from i bituminous coals and gas manufactured from liquid hydrocarbons, (the production ofia mingled hydrocarbon vapor and superheated steam by bringing superheated steam into contact with the surface of aliquidhydrocarbon, being kept free from all agitationandat a temperature below that of the steam,) by simultaneous] y passing both gases, while in a heated state,

from their respective retortsdirectly into the hydraulic main, thence through the condensers, washer, and purifiers, in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. In an, apparatus for the manufacture of illuminating-gas,the combinationof the rose and ring connected with the nozzle of the superheated steam-pipe, located in the top of the still, in relation to the exit vapor-pipe and the internal coil, as herein described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an apparatus forthe manufacture of gas from liquid hydrocarbons, a coil steam-pipe connected directly with the steam-boiler, the

pipe being located withinthe still atsuch dis tance from the outershell of the still, and of such diameter of coil, as shall produce aiuni form heat throughoutthe hydrocarbonliquid without causing agitation or convective currents, the said coil rising to about the height specified in the still below the entrance of the liquid-supply pipe, as herein described, and for r the purpose set forth.

5. 111 an apparatus for the manufacture of illuminating-gas, a still of the proportions sub- 7 stantially as described, having an internal coil steam-pipe Z, nozzle h, with rose-head and ring attached, coil K, liquid-supply pipe I, Vapor-escape pipe T, gas-retorts U, coal-gas retorts X, hydraulic main W, condenser l, washer m, exhauster V, and purifier n, constructed and arranged in the manner herein described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH. W. BEATLEY.

Witnesses B. F. JAMES, B. Lnwrs BLAoKFoRD. 

